Abu Mazen's 'headache' over Hamas

By James Reynolds BBC Jerusalem correspondent

To the outside world, Hamas is known primarily by its acts of violence.

In recent years, its suicide bomb attacks against Israeli targets have defined and changed the course of the conflict here.

But to many Palestinians, Hamas is much more than the sum of its bombs.

The organisation provides much needed social services, and it has become a strong political force in its own right.

Hamas aims to exploit Palestinian fears about the peace deal

What Hamas decides to do or not to do may have a strong impact on the fate of the new international peace plan, the roadmap.

The new Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, has made negotiating a ceasefire with Hamas his key opening move in the peace process.

He's made it clear that he's not prepared to take on the movement by force - as Israel would like.

The 'hudna'

So, talking is Abu Mazen's first and last tactic.

We cannot make up our minds with our neck under the sword

Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi
Hamas leader

Who are Hamas?

He doesn't appear to have any readily available alternatives should his negotiations fail.

In pursuing a ceasefire with Hamas, Abu Mazen has helped to introduce a new Arabic word to the international lexicon of the Middle East conflict.

It's "hudna" - the term used for a truce.

But so far, despite many rounds of talks, Hamas has not agreed in public to a ceasefire.

The movement wants Abu Mazen to secure a number of important guarantees from Israel before it can declare a hudna.

Perhaps the most important is an end to the Israeli policy of tracking down and killing Hamas leaders and activists - often by helicopter strikes in the Gaza Strip.

'Legitimate resistance'

Then, there is a continuing debate over the terms of a potential ceasefire.

Some believe that Hamas should commit itself to ending attacks against all Israelis - no matter who they are or where they may be.

This is certainly what Israel wants.

But others believe that Hamas should retain the right to attack soldiers and armed settlers inside the occupied territories.

Most Palestinians feel that this is a legitimate form of resistance.

'Co-opting' Hamas

What happens after a potential ceasefire is agreed has already become a subject of debate here.

Israel has vowed to wipe out Hamas

Palestinian Authority officials have indicated that - in order to convince Hamas that a truce is in its own interests - the movement may be offered some sort of role in the Palestinian Government.

In other words, Hamas should be co-opted not defeated.

But this would not go down well with either Israel or the United States.

Israeli officials have warned that a truce with Hamas can only be a temporary opening move.

They say they are concerned that the movement will use a ceasefire as an opportunity to regroup.

Israel will only be satisfied if Abu Mazen uses a truce to start dismantling Hamas' armed infrastructure.